Breaking: Windows Blue will be a free update named Windows 8.1

The update will ship later this year.

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The update to Windows 8 previously codenamed "Blue" will be officially known as "Windows 8.1," and it will be shipping later this year as a free update distributed via the Windows Store. Windows 8.1 was announced by Windows Division CFO Tami Reller today at JP Morgan's Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in Boston.

A public preview of Windows 8.1 will be available on June 26, which coincides with the start of Microsoft’s Build developer conference in San Francisco.

Only through the Windows Store? That could be a problem for enterprise, education, or other mass deployments of Windows. I'm just assuming there will be alternative ways to get it that have not yet been revealed. Otherwise that could prove problematic.

Looks like this might be the equivalent of the Vista update that actually made that system relatively stable. If it can just outlast the mediocre 8 launch press...Edit: I'm not saying that 8 has stability issues, just that I see similarities in the bad reputation/PR that Vista got on stability and drivers to the bad reputation/PR 8 has been getting over UI choices. Personally, I had great luck with Vista until I got my MSDN copy of 7 and didnt look back.

I can't wait. Since the first time I got my hands on the final build of Windows 8 I've been thinking "you know, this will be GREAT... when they ship a huge service pack in about a year." Tone down a few excesses, implement glaringly missing functionality, and for gods' sake change that horrible putrid shade of green used on some of the built-in tiles!

I don't suppose this update will enable domain joining for Windows RT... MS really dropped the ball on that one. My company would probably buy Surface RTs by the truckload for use as thin clients if we could have them join the domain and then install the Citrix Receiver.

Edit- there is a Citrix Receiver Windows 8/RT "Metro-style" app, so half the battle is already won. It's the ability to lock down and control via GPO, especially for portable devices, that really matters.

Only through the Windows Store? That could be a problem for enterprise, education, or other mass deployments of Windows. I'm just assuming there will be alternative ways to get it that have not yet been revealed. Otherwise that could prove problematic.

Hopefully they make available a free update for Windows Server 2012 which suffer similar issue with not start menu.

Windows 8 and Server 2012 have a start menu like feature.

Just go to the bottom left corner of the screen, the last few pixels. "Start" will pop up, you can either left click for the enlarged Tile Based start menu or right click for a lot of the more useful server options.

Only through the Windows Store? That could be a problem for enterprise, education, or other mass deployments of Windows. I'm just assuming there will be alternative ways to get it that have not yet been revealed. Otherwise that could prove problematic.

They could easily offer a .iso file to be downloaded. They are going to update all their physical retail disks to be Windows 8.1 more then likely. Enterprise and Education have MSDN, Dreamspark, and Technet to handle all other problems.

Furthermore Apple already does this with the current release of OS X, infact, there isn't a physical product TO purchase and that doesn't hurt those customers you speak of.

So why is this not "Windows 8 SP1"? Did Microsoft just make a decision to start using point updates instead of Service Pack nomenclature?

From what I've read and heard Microsoft wants to move away from major product releases and more into a general evolutionary rollout of improvements (they've said much the same across Windows, Windows Phone and a whole raft of other products like SharePoint and Office).

This is why they don't really want to use things like "SP1" otherwise you get into ridiculous naming conventions (like Server 2008 R2 SP1 ??)

Far easier to just go ..

Windows 8

Windows 8.1

Windows 8.2

..

Windows 9 (next major functional release .. probably paid upgrade

This is how most other software packages work, and allows them to easily ship regular updates (without everyone in Enterprise getting freaked out by the "service pack" name)

Hopefully they make available a free update for Windows Server 2012 which suffer similar issue with not start menu.

Windows 8 and Server 2012 have a start menu like feature.

Just go to the bottom left corner of the screen, the last few pixels. "Start" will pop up, you can either left click for the enlarged Tile Based start menu or right click for a lot of the more useful server options.

It can be a bitch to hit those 'few pixels' if you are running through an RDP session that isn't maximized, and the windows key doesn't always work reliably (RDP clients, KVMs, remote console hardware)

The reality is not that either one is completely bad in and of itself, but rather that the problem they try to solve is one that just does not have a nice UI solution. Any UI attempting to do what the start menu and start screen do (in terms of providing a centralized index of all software installed on a computer) is going to be shitty in some if not all aspects.

The one thing the start menu had and still has going for it is the global continuity and consistency aspect lending familiarity. People were familiar with the start menu. This is in no way to be discounted. Familiarity--on a broad, dumbed down level--is one of the bedrock principles of UX/usability psychology, as much as it gets in the way of "forward looking" design at times.

On a personal level, I hate both of them equally for the purpose of being a quick access to programs I want to use. Microsoft's biggest problem here is not actually their own design (well, the start menu is fairly nasty in a number of ways, but it's also sometimes functional when you have very little installed) but rather third parties. Instead of locking down how software installs and what it is allowed to place in areas like the start menu, it's basically a free for all.

I was hoping to see that change with the start screen. Software should have a single entry in the "program catalog" and everything else should be handled in the appropriate context: internally to that software. Even if it means making a launcher. Instead I still have multiple entries for single software suites and even products in my start screen. And these aren't live tiles: these are just different ways to start the programs in question which could have been handled at the level of the software itself. What a mess. I could clean this all up, but something like the start screen needs to start off relatively clean rather than as a complete chore.

What I really wish is that the start screen had actually been built to optionally remain up in a multi monitor environment even when not in focus, because the live tiles are actually reasonably useful... when they're visible. So that's my personal hope.

I am hoping for a bit of a mix of the new stuff in 8 and a return to some of the sanity and usability of 7. I like some of the ideas in 8 but they cut too many corners to get it out 'on time' (leaving a lot of stuff that doesn't fit the new aesthetic and layout so it is confusing and hard to find) and there are a lot of things that feel like they were decided arbitrarily instead of looking at how users actually use the software. Stuff like moving 'log off' from the power/shutdown/disconnect menu to the start screen in a more or less hidden place, for example. Or taking things off of the start menu and putting them somewhere besides the start screen. It is just fracturing the user experience for no good reason.

Of course, then you have the problems with dual monitor or multi desktop and remote desktop when trying to use hot corners, etc. It is just a bit of a mess when it comes to actually using 8 on a daily basis for anything that is a bit more than just email, browsing, etc. It gets cumbersome. They don't need to rewind completely, just finish the design switchover so it feels like a finished product (instead of the 'metro' stuff here, and the desktop stuff there...) and reintegrate or duplicate some of the stuff they moved so it is familiar, logical and easy to use for people who have years and years of built up expectations and understanding of 'how windows works'.

So why is this not "Windows 8 SP1"? Did Microsoft just make a decision to start using point updates instead of Service Pack nomenclature?

Because Service Packs historically have not added new features. Windows 8.1 "Blue" will add new features, tweak existing features, and of course roll all updates into one.

They are also going away from only fixing bugs with their products.

VIsual Studio 2012 Update 1 and VIsual Studio 2012 Update 2 both added several features and fixed tons of bugs. Windows RT Office is going to recieve a similar update in the future, along with the traditional Office 2013 desktop application. Major versions will unless the product is already on a yearly to bi-yearly release schedule recieve these updates.

As for problems with Hot Corners, people, use the damn keyboard shortcuts.

Looks like this might be the equivalent of the Vista update that actually made that system relatively stable. If it can just outlast the mediocre 8 launch press...

When was Vista ever unstable?

Edit: it's nice to see that asking genuine questions is reason enough for downvotes.

I guess you never really used Vista did you? I've never had so many program crashes, driver incompatibilities, lockups, and blue screens in my life. Not to mention Vista was a major resource hog.

1) Program Crashes are because most third-party software is basically shit.2) driver incompatibilities is because AMD and Nvidia both took a shat on Microsoft because Microsoft forced them to release signed drivers for x64.3) Vista took more resources but most people just had shitty hardware to begin with because of the 8 year old Windows XP effect.

Only through the Windows Store? That could be a problem for enterprise, education, or other mass deployments of Windows. I'm just assuming there will be alternative ways to get it that have not yet been revealed. Otherwise that could prove problematic.

There are mass deployments of Windows 8 in enterprise and education? Who knew?!

Looks like this might be the equivalent of the Vista update that actually made that system relatively stable. If it can just outlast the mediocre 8 launch press...

When was Vista ever unstable?

Edit: it's nice to see that asking genuine questions is reason enough for downvotes.

I guess you never really used Vista did you? I've never had so many program crashes, driver incompatibilities, lockups, and blue screens in my life. Not to mention Vista was a major resource hog.

Nice playground-style attack, but I've used it from the CTP up tot the point W7 came out. I haven't seen that multitude of crashes, lockups and blue screens. Are you sure the hardware or third-party software you were using weren't part of the problem?

Looks like this might be the equivalent of the Vista update that actually made that system relatively stable. If it can just outlast the mediocre 8 launch press...

When was Vista ever unstable?

Edit: it's nice to see that asking genuine questions is reason enough for downvotes.

Vista's instability came from third parties not knowing how to write drivers on x64 more than anything on MS's fault. Of course people will always blame MS though.

I took literally around 6 updates for my Realtek NIC driver to work properly. I don't know how much blame to lay on MS for that (say if they didn't give Realtek enough time to update their drivers), but it was ridiculous. Other than horrendous USB IO performance my Vista experience was excellent.

Yay for an update to Win8. I'll certainly be downloading it, even though I barely ever use the Start Screen.